“Sadly there is one casualty at the scene. That being the reputation of all dog drivers around the world.

“That’s right, Bo, the driver is yet another canine citizen. This is the third such accident in a week.

“Until I hear more, that’s all from traffic chopper K9′s Rule.”

A dog left in his master’s idling van just wouldn’t stay in his barking space – and wound up crashing into a Long Island coffee shop Wednesday night, police said.

The short but ruff ride by Bentley, a 50-pound mutt owned by musician Bryan Maher, ended without anyone getting hurt – just a lot of head scratching by witnesses at Cool Beanz in St. James, L.I.

“I ran inside the coffee house to sign up for open-mike night, and I left my car running because it’s cold outside and I didn’t want my dog to freeze,” said Maher, 60. “The next thing I knew, I looked up to see my van coming at me in the window, with Bentley in the driver’s seat grinning at me.”

The boxer and Shar-Pei mix, rescued by Maher from the pound about a month ago, somehow managed to put the car into drive as Maher, 60, was talking to Cool Beanz owner Patricia McCarthy.

Maher was grateful to McCarthy for taking it in stride – even booking him for Saturday night – but said he had learned his lesson.

“This is the first and last time I’ll ever put the car in park,” he said. “He’s a smart dog – obviously, he can drive a van.”

Hopefully Bentley will use his smarts, and great looks, to good use in the future and won’t have to rely on open mic nights when he’s 60.

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Be a Good Samaritan for animals.

Urgent: Extreme cold kills outside tethered dogs and cats, especially those animals without heavy coats, the malnourished, the very young and the elderly. Tethered animals in southern regions are at higher risk for hypothermia because they have not grown heavier coats over time like they would have in cooler climates. Watch for animals that don't have adequate shelter; speak with owners or call the authorities immediately.